OfficeTeam2017-09-19T10:15:30Zhttp://www.officeteam.co.uk/feed/atom/WordPressDeepak Panesarhttp://www.officeteam.co.uk/?p=79482017-09-19T10:15:30Z2017-09-01T09:26:54ZWhether you have landed directly on this blog or if it was following on from “The Importance of Good Web Design (Part 1)” – you should find the topics discussed helpful to gain a deeper understanding of web psychology. Previously,… Read more

]]>Whether you have landed directly on this blog or if it was following on from “The Importance of Good Web Design (Part 1)” – you should find the topics discussed helpful to gain a deeper understanding of web psychology.

Previously, we covered a brief history of the web, how design has evolved over the years and some common mistakes that are encountered.

In this article, we will weigh up the importance of visual design and usability. The correct balance of the two will determine the success or failure of your website.

It is all well and good to have a site that looks fancy, but if your web site is attractive and the user cannot navigate easily, needless to say, this will not positively impact the user experience or your business.

Entering the mind of the user

So, the first question you can ask yourself is “What am I trying to achieve”? By answering this question, you can remain mindful of what you want the user to act upon and in which order.

Colours should be used effectively across the website to guide the user and emotionally trigger the responses you desire. Obviously, you will have to ensure you are not in danger of violating the brand guidelines but you can use the following to indicate what certain colours represent:

Orange – Not as overwhelming as red, orange is a balanced colour that is vibrant and energetic while being friendly and inviting.

Yellow – The brightest and most energising of warm colours: happy, stimulating and expansive.

Green – This cool and secondary colour is calming, balancing and rejuvenating.

Blue – Represents dependability, trustworthiness and security.

Purple – Nobility, abundance, dignity but can also stand for creativity and imagination.

Brown – A stable colour, brown can be associated with experience and comfort.

Black – Power, elegance and modernity.

Grey – Neutrality and calm.

White – Clarity, cleanliness, hope and openness.

Web Usability

Definition: Web Usability

The ease of use of a website. Some broad goals of usability are the presentation of information and choices in a clear and concise way, a lack of ambiguity and the placement of important items in appropriate areas.

When colours are used in conjunction with usability it makes a magical combination in the web world. A satisfying user experience will inevitably allow your online performance to elevate.

During the evolution of the internet, users have gradually become accustomed to particular layouts and positioning of common web elements, for example:

Company logo is in the top-left corner and links back to the homepage

Navigation is in the same place on each page and adjacent to the content

“User Login” button is always situated on top-right of page

“Contact us” tab always at the end of the menu bar

The “Site links” are expected to be in the footer for a full overview of the site

Conclusion

If your goal is to get visitors to perform an action (e.g. fill in a contact form) you must apply this philosophy to the structure and design of the site – lure the user to the end-goal!

Ultimately, you want the user to be able to find exactly what they are looking for: whether it’s a product you are selling or information you are providing.

After all, Google is trying to improve the user experience for all web browsing. So, if you focus on the visitor, Google will focus on you.

]]>0Karen Smallhttp://www.officeteam.co.uk/?p=78832017-07-25T10:32:15Z2017-07-25T08:58:00ZHelp your new hires settle quickly and reduce your staff turnover with our guide to creating an effective onboarding process. From several stages of interviews to tasks and even psychometric testing, many businesses employ a range of recruitment tactics to… Read more

From several stages of interviews to tasks and even psychometric testing, many businesses employ a range of recruitment tactics to match the best talent with the right role; however, new research from Korn Ferry has found that as many as 25% of new joiners leave their new role within the first six months, costing companies between 100 to 300% of the leaver’s salary.

What’s going wrong?

For many of us, few things are more nerve-wracking than starting a new job, with the desire to make a positive impact countered by the need to navigate an alien environment of new people and processes. Supporting a new employee through this adjustment period with a proactive and structured onboarding process can significantly improve the experience and speed up the time it takes to embed a new employee into your company culture.

In addition, with one study reporting that 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for at least three years after having a positive onboarding experience, implementing an effective new employee onboarding process can reduce staff turnover, cutting down the time and money your business spends on recruitment.

The key features of a successful onboarding process

Early integration

Over a third of new employees leave within the first three months because their role was not what they anticipated. This shows the importance of detailed job descriptions and person specifications, so candidates can get a good feel for the role prior to attending an interview.

Emphasising your company culture in interviews will also clearly set the scene for candidates as well as give you the opportunity to assess whether a candidate is a good fit.

Melina Jacovou, Chief Executive and Co-founder of digital recruitment company Propel, believes it’s critical that businesses hire staff that are united by their belief in a company’s culture: “[T]he best companies really understand their culture, where it comes from and how important is to live and breathe it from the chief executive to the shop floor […] This can be very evident when it comes to recruiting staff. Great companies will give you a detailed breakdown of their values and the sort of behaviours they like to see in the staff. ”

Starting your onboarding process during the interview phase can help ease your new recruit into your company culture before their first day. Once an offer has been accepted, start building a bond with your new team member by sharing a welcome video or inviting your new recruit to meet their team in a social setting prior to their start date.

Make a positive first impression

According to research by Deloitte, 4% of new hires leave after a disastrous first day, so making the right impression is crucial.

Getting the basics right will ensure a positive start. On day one, make sure that someone is available to meet and greet your new employee, introduce them to the team and show them to their clean desk where they have all the relevant equipment and logins set up and ready to go.

Providing a company branded welcome kit can make a big impact and can help your new hire settle quickly. Combining useful information such as key contacts and your employee handbook with practical items such as a branded mug, water bottle and stationery will help your new employee feel part of the team.

With a little extra effort, your welcome package can offer an excellent means to bring your company values alive for your new recruit and start developing their loyalty from day one. International advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather’s eight-layered ‘Induction Box’ offers an impressive example. Each layer contains an item representing one of the eight habits that have formed the company’s ideology. Fun and thought-provoking, highlights of the box include a copy of founder David Ogilvy’s book and a slinky.

If you would like more information about branded welcome packages for your new employees, our PrintTeam can help – contact them here.

Speed up your return on investment by proactively removing or reducing the obstacles your new employee will face. A structured induction process will allow you to quickly and clearly cover off the necessary housekeeping items early on, as well as ensuring your new recruit has got to know their team members and key individuals from other teams.

In addition, with a structured process in place, you can discuss and agree performance expectations and set clear objectives with set deadlines that will enable your employee to start adding value straight away. Regular reviews of these goals at key milestones, such as at the end of the first week, month and three months, will not only give your new joiner clear direction, but will also allow both parties to identify and address any issues that may arise during those crucial first months.

Mentoring

Mentoring programmes can also be hugely beneficial in supporting new employees. The Korn Ferry Survey found that while 98% of respondents believed mentor programmes would help new employees, only 53% had implemented a formal scheme.

A mentor doesn’t have to be someone that is going to work with your new employee closely, but a good personality fit is crucial to ensuring the relationship is open and supportive.

Train mentors to offer support and give insight into the business while demonstrating the correct company behaviours to ensure your new employee has a great example to follow.

Take feedback on board

Capturing the views of your new employees’ experiences of your recruitment process can provide valuable information that can be used to improve recruitment and retention strategies. First impressions are lasting and can significantly impact your new recruit’s integration and satisfaction in their new role, so use feedback to continually drive improvements and see your new recruits settle in quickly, reducing turnover and saving your business time and money.

]]>0Kayleigh Pagethttp://www.officeteam.co.uk/?p=78402017-07-05T14:14:39Z2017-07-05T14:14:39ZThe constant need for companies to stand out in our current consumerist market is changing the way we see, do and buy things. Technology plays a huge role in this; we can now use our phones to pay for items,… Read more

]]>The constant need for companies to stand out in our current consumerist market is changing the way we see, do and buy things. Technology plays a huge role in this; we can now use our phones to pay for items, our watches not only tell us the time, but can show us emails and text messages, and we can order from many fast food chains via touch screen boards.

As the way we buy things is changing, pioneering companies are now exploring various ways to address the current problems associated with delivery. They’ve noted that consumers want faster and more resourceful ways to receive their parcels; however, this needs to remain cost-effective, environmentally friendly and practical.

So without further ado, meet the potential mailmen of the future:

1. Amazon Prime Air:

On December 7th 2016, Amazon made the first real package delivery in Cambridge (UK) with a Drone, using its ‘Prime Air’ option. The goal behind this development is to provide customers with a fast, 30 minute or less, delivery which requires no human pilot.

In order for this to work though, customers have to live within range of an Amazon depot, only order lightweight products (up to 5lbs), and have a large amount of space available for the drone to land. Also, the current drones are only permitted to operate during daylight hours when there are low winds plus good visibility and not in rain, snow or icy conditions.

According to Amazon, these drawbacks are just tests intended to improve the reliability of its service from depot to customer. They predict that by 2018 they will be starting the service.

If Amazon is able to create a device which can overcome its current complexities, then Drone deliveries may possibly be a part of the future of delivery; an answer to eliminating wait times and the cost of human labour.

2. The Mercedes Vision Van:

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan 5th 2017, Mercedes-Benz presented its intricate vision for the future of deliveries.

According to Mercedes, the Vision Van is an “intelligently networked delivery vehicle of the future”. Its purpose is to cut down on the amount of time it takes to sort packages for delivery as well as the actual delivery time. It’s fully automated cargo system is able to organise and prepare parcels needed for manual drop offs. The procedure takes just 30 seconds, compared to the minutes it might usually take when manually trying to find the right package. The van also carries two integrated drones to autonomously deliver parcels by air. Each drone has a capacity of 2kg for autonomous delivery within a radius of 10 km.

The electric van, which has no steering wheel or pedals, but is controlled by a joystick, can help boost the efficiency of delivery in built up urban areas by up to 50%. They are designed to produce zero CO2 emissions in motion, so will have access to low-emission zones, the numbers of which are only likely to increase in the future. They’re also built to be silent when moving – which opens up new business models for late night delivery services in sound-sensitive residential areas.

Despite this, the Vision Van still poses various concerns. Just like the Amazon Prime Air concept, you would need a landing device installed for the drones and it would also only be able to deliver parcels of a certain size, one that would be able to fit into the mechanised cargo loading system.

3. Starship Technologies:

Described as ‘Ground Drones’, Starship robots are able to deliver 20lbs (9kg) of goods to local customers. The robots are able to drive autonomously, and use cameras, sensors and other technology to help navigate around public areas.

They also have integrated navigation and ‘obstacle avoidance software’ to enable the bots to steer clear of pedestrians or to jump over kerbs and cobbles, for example. Even though they can avoid obstacles by themselves, they are currently being monitored by human operators in control centres who can take over at any time.

Once they are capable of traveling alone, and demand increases, delivery fees could be reduced by 80% to 90%. The idea is that consumers could call for a delivery, which is carried to their door by the robot in between five and 30 minutes, for as little as £1.

Takeaway food delivery service – Just Eat, has trialled the robots to deliver meals to customers in London. The cargo trunk is sealed and, when the food arrives, it can only be opened using a code given to the customer. The benefits of using Starship delivery is its combination of low cost, convenience, traffic reduction and zero emissions. A disadvantage would be that the bot can only do a single delivery each trip, making it much less efficient than a driver who can stop off at several homes that are near one another.

Another of Starship Technologies’ biggest issues is ensuring that people don’t steal, damage, or interfere with the robots. On one of its trial runs with Just East, a member of the public attempted to rip the flag from one of its robots that was out on delivery.

However, the company claims that its robots have encountered over 3.1 million people in over 16 countries, and there haven’t been a large number of alarming issues with stealing or damages. Human operators are ready to step in if an emergency should arise and the bot’s nine cameras can also capture images as evidence.

4. Mole Solutions:

Cambridge-based Mole Solutions is a concept which allows parcels to be delivered through an underground network of pipes. The idea is to avoid traffic which means an end to road congestion, pollution and delays in delivery.

The Mole would deliver parcels and post to addresses through an underground network of train tracks, much like the London Underground, or the Post Office Underground Railway system, which closed in 2003.

The system was trialed in Northampton; an urban environment that is suffering from major congestion and pollution problems caused by excessive road usage. The test proved that an installed ‘Urban Freight Pipeline’ would provide long-lasting economic, environmental and social benefits to towns such as Northampton.

The Mole is designed for use in delivering large quantities of goods to suppliers and businesses, but the founders hope that one day it could also be used for delivering single packages to domestic properties. The technology could also be good for reducing the time and money used distributing products around the country. It would also be more eco-friendly as the system would be powered by a magnetic field, called Maglev, which produces zero emissions.However, the current issue is the financial feasibility and the social impact that creating the underground system would cause. The post office underground railway system closed in 2003, as it was five times more expensive than using road transport for the same task.

If successful though, the initiative could cut costs in a number of other ways; most notably, the system would bypass the U.K.’s traffic problem. In London alone congestion is costing the economy more than £6 billion across the city as a whole.

The future of delivery is here

With the constant progression of technology, nothing is safe, including the mailman. One day, seeing drones in the sky, and robots on the road, may be as normal as seeing delivery vans on the road.
Consumers want faster and more reliable delivery systems and companies are developing solutions, with the added bonus of a more eco-friendly transportation system. These concepts are in early stages of development and still present various complications, which would need to be perfected before they could come into practice. And although these concepts have their many advantages, there are also disadvantages too. Can we really rely on mechanical objects to give us the standard of service a person is able to give? We cannot verbally communicate with objects if there is an issue with the service, nor can we predict the variety of technical faults that may occur.

What do you think? Is the future of delivery evolving for the better or should we stick to what we already know?

]]>0Deepak Panesarhttp://www.officeteam.co.uk/?p=78172017-07-03T13:21:43Z2017-06-27T12:57:55ZCombining ancient spiritual practice and the laws of physics to inspire a new way of living. If you are like me and accumulate a lot of miscellaneous junk on your desk by the end of the working week, you may… Read more

]]>Combining ancient spiritual practice and the laws of physics to inspire a new way of living.

If you are like me and accumulate a lot of miscellaneous junk on your desk by the end of the working week, you may feel the need to have a major cleanse once in a while to ‘free the mind’.

Do you often find yourself thinking: “I will definitely have the need for this in the near future, I’m sure of it!”? Yet, months have gone-by and you still find these items un-used, stocking piling up and collecting dust. This is probably a good indicator that another one of these scraps can “bite the dust”. Usually, this might be a difficult process but rest-assured, you shall suffer no longer! So, what to do?

“A tidy desk, is a tidy mind.”

Well, you may have heard of an ancient Chinese philosophy called “Feng Shui” which addresses this very concern. It literally translates to “wind” (Feng) and “water” (Shui).

This 6000 year-old teaching educates mankind about the art of creating and optimising residences and businesses to bring about happiness, abundance, and harmony.

Everything and everyone has a natural energy “Qi”; therefore, the framework, layout, materials and colours are all factors which are considered when creating synergy and flow in your environment.

Ultimately, Feng Shui aims to create an ideal setting to allow human beings to remain calm, collected and creative; inevitably allowing you to flourish regardless of any stresses life proposes – happy days!

Sound interesting? Well, you can apply this teaching to your life using this step-by-step guide. But beware, your life is about to change for the greater good! (You’re welcome.)

Step 1: The Feng Shui Self-Assessment

So, you are now aware of this mystical ancient practice and want to know if you need to apply it to your lifestyle. Well, if you feel like you are losing control and things are getting on top of you in the workplace, it’s a good indication that you need to rekindle your equanimity.

Sometimes we just get used to our “organised mess”; so begin by looking at your personal space and ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do you really need everything that’s in front of you?
2. Is your paperwork up-to-date?
3. Are you facing the door and/or window?
4. Are there any air-purifying plants in the office?

So, if you answered ‘no’ to these questions, there are some adjustments you can make – fast!

Step 2: Create Your Office Success-Pod

It’s no good looking at the disarray of documents every time you sit down; if anything, this will demotivate you and your colleagues – the complete opposite of what you are trying to achieve. So simplify your life and schedule frequent desk de-cluttering sessions by the following golden rule:

The Three R’s – Review, Recycle, Repeat…

In layman’s terms, just take a look at your desk and if there’s paperwork that you don’t need, recycle it – easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

Whilst in “work-mode” you need to be in a position to attract stronger, more positive and more successful energies. So, position yourself so that you are not facing the wall and if you are, place a meaningful piece of art or picture that resonates with you. Ideally you want to be facing the door; having the door behind you can create a feeling of anxiousness so if it’s within your power, alter your position.

Research shows that there is more indoor pollution than outdoor and if there are no plants within your office, you may want to think about strategically situating some around the office.

Step 3: Make It A Habit

We are only human, so we can’t maintain good form 100 per cent of the time, but if you follow a regime for a few weeks, this will naturally become a habit.

So, turn your procrastination into actions and make them stick – why not just combine the two and “procrast-in-action”? This newly invented terminology may even trigger a neuro-linguistic response to turn your thoughts into actions more efficiently – we are ahead of the game! Or, we can take an approach by one of the most influential scientists of all time: Sir Isaac Newton.

According to Newton’s First Law of Motion:

An object either remains at rest or continues to move at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force.

Therefore, rather than pondering about the positive action you are going to perform, just begin and the task should move steadily in the right direction.

Each time you perform a habit, there’s a thickening of neural pathways. So, every time you carry out the habit the more automatic it becomes for you to perform – eventually, requiring little or no thought at all! Voila!

So, all that’s left now is for you to decide whether you want to take the “procrast-in-action” or “Sir Isaac Newton” approach. The choice is tough, but only you hold the key to your success. Let’s get the ball rolling…

]]>0Sarah Rosehttp://www.officeteam.co.uk/?p=78072017-06-26T14:32:40Z2017-06-26T14:02:37ZWe all recognise that sinking feeling when we realise we have left the house without our mobile phone. So it’s no surprise to hear that two thirds of people now own a smartphone, using it for nearly two-hours a day… Read more

]]>We all recognise that sinking feeling when we realise we have left the house without our mobile phone. So it’s no surprise to hear that two thirds of people now own a smartphone, using it for nearly two-hours a day to browse the internet, access social media and bank and shop online.

Just nine years after launching the first full touch screen smartphone, the smartphone penetration is approaching a peak. According to the UK Mobile Consumer Survey, key findings include:

Almost half of 18-24 year olds check their phone in the middle of the night

27% of smartphones include a fingerprint reader, of which 76% are used

Connected home devices still haven’t taken off, with just 2% of adults owning smart lights and smart appliances

As of mid-2016, almost half of UK adults had access to at least one type of connected entertainment product

4G adoption has more than doubled in the last year from 25% to 54%

31% of smartphone users make no traditional voice calls in a given week. This contrasts with a quarter in 2015, and just 4% in 2012

The majority of survey participants have downloaded 20 or fewer apps

By mid-2016, almost two-thirds of UK adults had access to a tablet, but penetration growth had slowed down

But does your phone pose a cyber security threat?

The modern workplace is being shaped by the demands of a mobile workforce, with employees preferring to complete tasks on the road or from home. However, these benefits come with risks and mobile devices are one of the weakest links in today’s society. Businesses are battling to manage a proliferation of devices, protecting data, securing networks and training employees to take security seriously. It is suggested that mobile devices are largely breached because people lose them or fail to practise appropriate security habits.

Here are some tips that can help you protect your identity, and that of your business, while you use your device or in the event your phone is stolen:

1. Set a password
Setting a password on your mobile device means that if lost or stolen, your data and personal information is more difficult to access. Make a password that is difficult to guess, do not use any obvious information such as your birthday, address or a portion of your phone number – or a typical 1234 code!

2. Watch your wireless
Free Wi-Fi networks are usually unsecured, many applications and web pages do not use the correct security measures, and sending unencrypted data across the network can be easily read by someone who is grabbing data as it travels. So, be safe and only use free Wi-Fi sparingly on your mobile device and never use it to access confidential or personal services, like banking or credit card information.

3. Bluetooth
When in discoverable mode, your Bluetooth-enabled devices are visible to other nearby devices, which may alert an attacker or infected device to target you. When in non-discoverable mode, your Bluetooth-enabled devices are invisible to other unauthenticated devices.

4. Back up your data
Gone are the days when you need to memorise numbers; for many, the only source of contact information for people nowadays is stored in your phone. This makes the loss of a phone even more painful and hazardous; by syncing your device to your PC or laptop you are backing up all your data to ensure you have it – even if you don’t have your phone.

5. Download from trusted sources
It goes without saying that if you’re downloading apps for your device, you should use reputable and trusted sources; iTunes, Google Play or the App Store for example. You shouldn’t download any applications onto your device directly from the internet unless you can be assured it is safe to do so. Don’t take the risk of downloading an app that you are unsure of, particularly when so many applications are available for free.

Some applications claim extensive rights to accessing and leveraging your personal information, so walk away if the app wants more access than is necessary to run its service.

6. Security software
This is a must for smartphone users – the mobile malware market is booming and because few users protect their devices, they are particularly attractive to hackers and cyber criminals. The only protection for this is to use mobile security software and keep it up-to-date.

7. Wipe your phone
This is an obvious one for anyone thinking about upgrading or getting a new phone. Deleting data needs to be done securely; you can check the website of the device’s manufacturer for more information on how to do this. You can also contact your mobile phone provider who may have useful information on how to securely wipe your device. If necessary, some phone providers offer remote wiping, allowing you or your provider to remotely delete all data on your phone.

]]>0Deepak Panesarhttp://www.officeteam.co.uk/?p=77822017-08-23T10:42:22Z2017-06-14T14:46:25ZSo you’re a start-up business planning to build a website to showcase your amazing services. Time is of the essence, so maybe you are thinking “the sooner I can get something up there, the better” – not always! Your website… Read more

]]>So you’re a start-up business planning to build a website to showcase your amazing services. Time is of the essence, so maybe you are thinking “the sooner I can get something up there, the better” – not always!

Your website should represent you and your business so the last thing you want to do is give the impression that it was put together overnight. A lot of thought and consideration should be given to design because graphics convey information to the brain 60,000 times faster than text.

According to research, 90% of the information sent to the brain is visual, and 93% of human communication is visual. So, when the World Wide Web was first unleashed to the world (6th August 1991) websites were mainly text due to the capacity of 56k dial-up modems.

A Brief History of the Web – Web Browsers & Design

The first browser you would have used was probably Netscape Navigator and/or Mosaic, which formed the basis of Internet Explorer. Feeling nostalgic?

It must feel good to be part of the beginning of a historical moment, right? However, if you remember WorldWideWeb you were in fact at the very beginning. It was invented by Tim Berners-Lee – the creator of the Internet!

So, it is evident that the design capabilities would have been very limited at this time. It was the beginning of this new technology, therefore, a very experimental era. The priority was more “I wonder what we can actually display”, rather than ‘how’ it can be displayed.

The Evolution of Design – Images, Video and much more…

It is safe to say the Internet was in its infancy at this stage. Images would’ve taken a long time to load and videos were out of the question – remember when it used to take 2+ hours to download a 5MB song!? Depending on the link source, it could even take days! Imagine how many years it could take to stream a video!

That being said, it is amazing when you think about how much technology has evolved in such a short number of years. To put it into perspective, television was entirely black and white for a period of 31 years. Within that same time frame, we have moved from simple text-based websites to those that are used for a wide variety of functions: video conferencing, online dating, social media, job applications and much more.

Designing for the web is no longer an ordinary task. There is a vast range of functions that can be incorporated into the design, making the whole thing a little tricky!

Why is Design so Important?

In web design today, you can utilise images and videos which allow you to showcase your business extremely effectively and in a variety of creative ways. For example, some websites are even using a looped background video on their homepage, without creating issues for visitors to load the site. So, don’t limit yourself!

Software such as Google Analytics allows businesses to track their success, for example:

Which aspect of the page is being clicked on more?

Which area of the site is most popular?

Which banner attracted the most attention?

This data allows decision-makers to collect data and continuously improve design, with the ultimate goal of improving ROI – so you can see why it’s very important to give the design considerable thought!

11 Common Mistakes in Web Design

1. Opening new browser windows

2. Poor navigation

3. Unclear Call to Action

4. Too many font sizes and colours

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Fonts-x2.png

5. Page Titles With Low Search Engine Visibility

6. Inconsistency

7. Not changing the colour of visited links

8. Slow load time

9. Too many graphics

10. Too many advertisements

11. Skewed images

]]>0Karen Smallhttp://www.officeteam.co.uk/?p=77692017-06-07T09:10:29Z2017-05-31T09:55:49ZOfficeTeam is delighted to announce that it is supporting WildHearts’ Love to Learn programme, which aims to facilitate access to education for children in Sub-Saharan Africa by providing them with school starter packs, reading materials and ongoing educational supplies. Who… Read more

]]>OfficeTeam is delighted to announce that it is supporting WildHearts’ Love to Learn programme, which aims to facilitate access to education for children in Sub-Saharan Africa by providing them with school starter packs, reading materials and ongoing educational supplies.

Who are WildHearts?

To date, WildHearts have transformed over 175,000 lives both at home and abroad through funding micro-loans for poor entrepreneurs in the developing world and helping young people at home develop business and employability skills though Micro-Tyco.

What is Love to Learn?

Aside from war, one of the main barriers to educating girls is gender discrimination. In Sub-Saharan Africa, 80% of young women have not completed secondary education and one in three women cannot read. The implications of this are severe;

Uneducated girls are most vulnerable to trafficking and three times more likely to contract HIV.

Women with secondary education marry later and have an average of three children, while uneducated girls are more likely to be child brides and have an average of seven children.

A single year of primary education increases a girl’s wages by 20%.

WildHearts recognise that the exclusion of girls from education in the developing world is a serious global issue, its injustice affects us all.

Love to Learn seeks to address this issue by providing ongoing essential educational equipment to children in Sub-Saharan Africa, so that girls as well as boys get to go to school. In line with WildHearts’ ethos of creating ‘Inner Change, Local Change and Global Change’ they have partnered with five UK schools, three based in Glasgow and two in London, who will help to pack the school supplies before they are shipped to Malawi. WildHearts’ goal is to send 20,000 school packs including pens, pencils, notebooks and rulers, all of which will make a huge difference to schools with little access to basic educational equipment.

How will OfficeTeam help?

To help WildHearts achieve this goal, we will utilise our in-house delivery fleet, OfficeFleet, to distribute the school pack supplies from our Greenwich warehouse to the participating schools. We will then collect the completed packs from the schools and pass them over to WildHearts who will organise their long journey to Malawi, where they are expected to reach schools in September 2017.

You can track the journey of the school starter packs from the UK to Malawi by following us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

]]>0Karen Smallhttp://www.officeteam.co.uk/?p=77562017-06-26T14:06:56Z2017-05-22T09:21:03ZThe boardroom is the beating heart of the office; it’s where the most momentous decisions are made, strategies devised and those all important business partnerships are formed. Therefore, a boardroom that both inspires and impresses is essential to facilitating brilliant… Read more

]]>The boardroom is the beating heart of the office; it’s where the most momentous decisions are made, strategies devised and those all important business partnerships are formed. Therefore, a boardroom that both inspires and impresses is essential to facilitating brilliant ideas and creating positive long-lasting impressions.

Simple alterations to design and furniture can easily and inexpensively transform your boardroom from a dull meeting room to a powerful space that reflects and strengthens your company culture, engages your staff and ensures visitors gain a clear and positive image of your brand.

Creating the right impression

First and foremost, your boardroom design must reflect your brand culture and values. If you’re a creative agency or tech start-up, a quirky and colourful modern design can reflect your brand’s innovative and unique approach; however, if you’re an established legal firm, solid wood and calming colour pallets will help present a professional space that is classy and confident.

Ditching the dull magnolia paint in exchange for uplifting colours, interesting artwork or inspiring iconography is an easy way to enhance your boardroom. Displaying company awards or key values is also a great way to motivate employees and cement your credibility with clients and business associates.

While an aesthetically pleasing design is crucial to delivering that all-important wow factor, optimising your design to support the wellbeing of your staff and visitors will ensure you get the most out of your boardroom. For example, research has shown lighting can have a huge impact on productivity and creativity, so ensuring your space is amply lit can make a huge impact. A dim room can be oppressive, but excessive brightness can be distracting and cause headaches. Similarly, creating a space which feels open and allows people to move around and present is more likely to produce collaborative working and out-the-box thinking than a cramped space.

Boardroom furniture: funky vs function

There’s no question that the boardroom table is one of the most significant pieces of office furniture. Whether you opt for a round table to encourage collaborative working or prefer a more traditional rectangular setup, your boardroom table is the main focus of your boardroom space and sets the mood for anyone that steps inside, so picking the right design to support your business needs is essential.

The Boys and Girls LEGO table stands out in an otherwise sterile environment (Image Source)

Nonetheless, no matter how show-stopping your boardroom table may be, poor quality, too large or uncomfortable chairs could significantly diminish the overall quality of your boardroom. With staff and external stakeholders likely to be seated for a couple of hours or more, failing to ensure your boardroom chairs offer comfort and support could wear on people’s patience and negatively impact decision making. Picking from ergonomic design ranges should help maintain high comfort levels and improve productivity.

Equipment essentials

In a digital age, it goes without saying that equipping your boardroom with the technological tools needed to support presentations and video and phone conferencing is essential. Tables with cable ports, wall-mounted HD screens as well as easy access power points and a speedy Wi-Fi connection are all key components of a modern boardroom, but providing clear user-guide instructions as well as Wi-Fi access details will reduce set-up times and ensure a seamless and professional presentation every time.

Attention to detail

When it comes to meetings with business associates or clients, paying close attention to the smaller details in your boardroom can help your presentation pack a punch. Simple additions such as water glasses, fruit bowls, fresh flowers, or even mints, on the table can help create a welcoming environment, setting your external stakeholders at ease and providing a positive experience of your brand. Finally, don’t forget to keep a supply of up-to-date brochures, newsletters or case studies in your boardroom at all times. In addition to projecting confidence in your business, this offers your visitors an informative memento that they can take away with them.

If you would like more information about redesigning your boardroom, please contact one of our interiors experts today.

]]>0Karen Smallhttp://www.officeteam.co.uk/?p=77422017-05-08T14:21:20Z2017-05-08T14:21:20Z“The environmental crisis is a global problem, and only global action will resolve it” – Barry Commoner Environmental sustainability is all about managing and taking actions on matters which have a lasting impact on the environment. Companies of all sizes… Read more

Environmental sustainability is all about managing and taking actions on matters which have a lasting impact on the environment. Companies of all sizes and sectors should be fully aware of the impact their business is having and what can be done to be more sustainable. Implementing an eco-friendly strategy is an important part of business and can help companies assess how viable their green practices are.

Awareness of your impact on the environment makes good business sense. Not only are consumers more likely to buy products and services from companies that are eco-friendly, but businesses themselves also stand to save money and boost morale by going green. It is relatively simple and economical to ensure your business is operating in a sustainable manner; here are a few simple ways that businesses of all sizes can do their part to help the environment:

Top 10 Tips

1. Turn everything off at the end of the day
This is probably the most obvious and easily attainable tip. We assume you are already shutting down your computers (if not, then you should!), but what about the printers? There are many electrical appliances in the workplace, some you might not even think of, such as the radio or coffee machine; turning these off at the end of the day can save energy and money.

2. Let there be light
Did you know that 30% of a business’ utility spend is lighting? Good lighting is essential to workplace productivity, but the type of lighting you have can make a huge difference to your carbon emissions and expenditure. If you are lucky enough to have access to natural daylight, make use of this and you won’t need to waste unnecessary energy on extra lighting. If you do need extra lighting, invest in LED lights which last longer, have no toxic elements and are energy efficient. Read more about LED lighting in the workplace here.

3. Think before you print
Hands up if you are guilty of unnecessarily printing a document you could have easily read on your screen? If this is the case, stop and think; not only will you be saving energy, you are also saving paper and ink. You should also consider using refillable ink cartridges or implementing a Managed Print Service – two strategies which have a less damaging effect on the environment and expenditure. Learn more about sustainable printing here.

4. Get a desk plant
We all know office plants add a bit personality to the workplace and literally make the place look greener but, did you know, they also have environmentally friendly benefits such as helping to purify the air within office. Further to this, plants also help to improve productivity; all offices should have them!

5. Recycle
Hopefully your office should already have recycling bins in place to separate paper from general waste but, if not, you should certainly suggest them. Offices go through a lot of paper and recycling it can make an enormous difference. It doesn’t just stop at paper; did you know around 70% of office waste is recyclable? Consider plastics, empty ink cartridges and electronics etc. Find out how OfficeTeam can help with your recycling here.

6. Think about your mode of transport
If you live near a colleague, or pass their house on your route to work, consider car sharing. How about public transport? Why not catch the train or the bus to work? This will help the environment massively and help to decrease pollution. If you’re lucky enough to live close to your workplace, you could even consider cycling to work – your journey would emit zero pollution and you’d get much healthier while you’re at it! You could also actively promote cycling by suggesting a Cycle to Work scheme.

7. Use environmentally friendly products
In addition to recycling materials in the office, you could use eco-friendly products wherever possible. For example notepads, recycled printer paper and pens. Not only will this help our planet, but it will set a fantastic example throughout the office.

8. Consider a casual dress code
In the summer months, wearing a suit can be uncomfortable and hot, requiring the use of air-con or fans which use up energy. By introducing a casual dress code, employees can dress more appropriately for the hotter climate.

9. Use green cleaning products
You may not be in charge of cleaning your office, but using green cleaning products is certainly worth your attention. Green cleaning eliminates the use of toxic ingredients – leading to a safer and more eco-friendly office and environment.

10. Re-use
Exactly what it says on the tin; just re-use any items that you can. Can you use the other side of the paper you have just thrown in the bin to write down your notes? Do you really need to drink water from disposable cups? Can you keep the packaging of the parcel you have just received and re-use it to send something yourself?

]]>0Deepak Panesarhttp://www.officeteam.co.uk/?p=77202017-05-02T12:18:51Z2017-05-02T10:31:01ZFirstly, you are very welcome :D. Furthermore, nobody likes to feel ‘rough’ in the office. It affects productivity and you are constantly clock-watching! But have no fear, there are a number of ways we can feel right-as-rain. Either by making… Read more

Furthermore, nobody likes to feel ‘rough’ in the office. It affects productivity and you are constantly clock-watching! But have no fear, there are a number of ways we can feel right-as-rain. Either by making a visit to the local pharmacy or with ingredients found in the comfort of your very own home.

What are electrolytes?

So let’s take a brief look at the science of it all. The following are the major electrolytes found within the body, each of which is vital for the normal function of the human body. They regulate neurons and muscle function sometimes referred to as the “electric tissues” of the body.

How to re-kindle your inner harmony?

1. Himalayan Salt & Water

According to Barbara O’Neill, qualified naturopath and nutritionist, a pinch of Himalayan salt and water is a very healthy way to hydrate the system. Himalayan salt contains a wide spectrum of minerals but mainly provides a strong source of sodium and chloride. So, you can take a piece of rock salt, allow it to dissolve on your tongue and drink a glass of water. In effect, this allows the water to be absorbed much faster than drinking a glass on its own.

2. Lassi

Lassi is a well-known summer beverage originating from India that is used to cool and hydrate the body. There are many different flavours to satisfy your taste-buds some of which include sweet, salty and even mango! So how can this Indian summery drink help replenish your electrolytes? Well, just one cup of lassi contains 280mg of calcium as well as probiotics to populate your digestive tract with plenty of good bacteria! So pick up one at lunch time from your local supermarket – it should be near the milkshakes!

3. Banana

We all have an abundant supply of these at home I bet!? To the point where they are starting to change complexion and become unrecognisable! So why not make use of them? – Just pack one in your bag for work every day. Two birds, one stone! Plus, you can get a banana guard to protect it – a very popular choice with people who travel to work in the city.
One medium-sized banana contains a massive 422mg of potassium. So do something about it because you’re not short of options. You can either cook it, blend it, pancake it or just eat it the traditional way – Raw!

4. Spinach

Come on Popeye! Surely you’ve been notified of the health benefits of this powerful superfood!? Well, if you haven’t your education begins now.

One cup of spinach contains 157mg of magnesium, another important and major electrolyte for the human body. In addition to this, studies have shown that spinach helps maintain vigorous brain function, memory and mental acuity.

So, when you are whipping up your packed lunch, don’t be afraid to throw some of these leafy greens in there – Or, throw it in a Nutribullet if you are feeling lazy!

5. Home-made Electrolyte Drink

The easiest option is to go to your local supermarket and pick up a luminous sports drink. However, it’s clearly not the healthiest option – no pun intended. So here is a recipe from everydayroots.com you can use instead:

1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lime juice

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 ½ to 2 cups fresh water

1/8 teaspoon of sea salt

2 tablespoons natural sugar or honey, to taste

You can refrigerate this mixture the night before and take it to work the next-day – perfect! The citrus fruits provide a good source of potassium, calcium and magnesium. But when they are combined with salt (preferably Himalayan) they provide added benefit! So, while you are replenishing your electrolytes you are also balancing your pH and fluid levels in the body. Finally, if you have chosen to add honey, rather than sugar, you’ll be glad to know that it possesses unique benefits too! Especially Manuka honey!!

6. Nature’s Electrolyte Drink – Coconut Water

Coconut water is known as the earth’s natural electrolyte because it contains all of the major minerals: potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, chloride and many more! Just one cup of this re-hydrating beverage contains double the amount of potassium than what’s in a banana. It can also be found conveniently in your local supermarket! E.g. Vita Coco

Conclusion

So, there you have it. These are just a few different healthy ways you can rebalance and rejuvenate your system whether it’s a heavy night-out or a heavy session in the gym! After applying your new-found knowledge, your quality of sleep will improve and you will be replying to emails effortlessly!
If you have found this blog informative and helpful, share it with your employees – they’ll appreciate it